Headed Home
We're going back, together. 2026 trips loading + a giveaway!
Home is a fascinating concept. I’ve always had more than one.
The first, and most important, is wherever my mom is. I’ve always known I could go home at any moment. And especially since my dad died, my mom has been this unshakeable fixture of love, acceptance, and stability. I know how privileged I am to have the kind of mom who would just scoop me up and give me the space to figure out my shit until things feel alright again.
My second home is wherever I’m living at the moment. I’m a wanderer and I know I will likely move again someday. But for right now that home is DC, and it feels beautiful. It’s everything I needed after my divorce, everything I wanted…
And then there’s my third home, the one that surprises people: the Middle East and North Africa.
I first went to the region when I was 20, not long after my dad died. It was my first time traveling alone, completely without my parents, and I went for an entire year, to study in Morocco. That year, in the midst of the Arab Spring, completely reshaped my life. It challenged how I understood democracy, resistance, and honestly the whole damn world.
Morocco is where I learned how to navigate life without my dad. Yes, I grieved him there, but it’s also where I became the woman I am today. Where I gained a certain confidence that has carried me around the world.
Photos from my very first trip to Morocco as a student.
Since then, I’ve studied in, worked in, lived in, and traveled in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab, world as its often called.
In Iraq, I saw the wonder of the marshlands and the buzz of busy Baghdad bakeries at 2 a.m., where kids and grannies are strolling around like its midday.
Living and working in Jordan, I learned a brand-new driving style and the true meaning of Arab hospitality.
In Lebanon, I partied in Beirut and got a taste of a certain joie de vivre that I’ll carry forever.
In Egypt, history breathed around me in a way that made me reconsider how I imagine the world.
But when I quit my job as a diplomat and became a creator, I felt, in some ways, like I was giving up that home. That part of me that spent more than 10 years studying Arabic, celebrating birthdays, and experiencing a part of the world that I wish more Americans understood beyond the headlines.
But I was a brand-new baby creator. I didn’t have the agency I have now. I was focused on my book, on Black storytelling, on my business. All things I’ll never fully step away from, but for a while they consumed me.
Now? I’ve snatched some of that agency back. I get to choose again. And I built this business brick by brick, so I for damn sure am going to make space for myself as a whole ass human, with layered, complex interests.
On my birthday, I declared this my year of being selfish. And if I’m being selfish, I want to go home.
So that’s exactly what I’m doing in 2026. And I’m taking y’all with me.
I did something terrifying and signed up for an Arabic program in Oman, a country I’ve studied in and traveled through but never had enough time in. I’ll be spending close to $4,000, to go be a student again in February 2026. Living in student housing. Doing an intensive Arabic course as an adult, simply because I choose to. Not because someone told me to, not because it was the “right” thing, but because it’s what I want.
The group trip space is crowded as hell right now. Everyone, including my favorite food magazine, is hosting trips.
So I asked myself: What can I offer that no one else can?
Care. Deep expertise. Customization. And in the Arab World? A level of experience that other creators can’t match.
So in March 2026, we’re headed to Jordan. That trip is already sold out.
And in fall 2026, we’ll head to Morocco on two brand-new custom itineraries blending food, culture, and crafts.
And we’re also headed to Egypt for a once-in-a-lifetime experience… a trip that required some intense negotiation on my part, but baby, I got what I wanted.
I’ll continue running trips to other destinations (I’m already eyeing Oaxaca for example)… but for now it’s time to return to places that feel so much like home. I can’t wait to bring you along with me.
Details to note:
Prior travelers always get first dibs. Keep an eye on your inbox.
Paid subscribers will get an exclusive discount code when trips launch!
There will be interest-free payment plans for each trip!
And next week, I’ll walk you through these upcoming experiences, the details, the dates, the magic, the why.
Oh, and one more thing: these trips are only available through me. You can’t book them on a travel company website. They are custom, built by me from the ground up, designed to be something truly special. So let’s plan for joy together.
It’s A Giveaway (closed)
I have some seriously good extras from PR boxes that I’m excited to be able to share with you! I’ll select a winner from paid subscribers and mail out a goodie box with the above items.
How to Enter:
This giveaway is open to paid Substack subscribers in the US only.
Prize: A gift box (will be mailed to the winner) featuring a travel toiletry set from Ries, Private Island Glow from Blue Water Girls, and some skin care items from Tony Moly!
Prize value: $135
Eligibility: Must be a current paid Substack subscriber as of the entry deadline.
How to enter: Leave a comment on this post. That’s it!
Entry deadline: November 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET
Selection: One (1) winner will be selected at random via random name generator after the entry deadline.
Notification: The winner will be notified via email on November 29, 2025.
Redemption: Winner must respond to the notification email by 11:59PM ET on December 1, 2025.
Happenings & Housekeeping
Join us for our annual intention setting session on Sunday November 30th! Let’s take this time to get clear on what we want in the coming year. Register here.
And of course, group trips will open here soon!
Wherever you’re reading this from, your couch, your mom’s kitchen, or a noisy-ass Metro car, I hope you’re claiming a little more home and a little more selfishness for yourself, too.
I'm excited to see where your journey home takes you!
Sounds lovely! 😃